In the slashing process carried out on a typical textile slasher, individual warp yarn ends are withdrawn from one or more warp section beams to form a warp yarn sheet comprising warp yarns arranged generally side by side. The warp yarn sheet is subjected to a sizing process wherein a size is applied to the yarns for better strength and adherence. Next, the sheet of warp yarns is subjected to a drying process wherein the warp yarn sheet may be split into two or more warp yarn sheets and passed through a dryer oven which typically includes heated cylinders over which the warp yarn sheets pass. Next, the warp yarn sheets are subjected to a process wherein the warp yarn sheet is busted into the number of sheets corresponding generally to the number of section beams. The warp yarn sheets are brought back together and pass through a combing process. The combed warp ends are wound upon a loom beam which is then transported to a loom for weaving. Application of a lubricant to the warp yarn ends in sheet form has also been an optional step in the slashing process.
In the lubricating methods and apparatus heretofore utilized, one method has been to add waxes and other lubricants directly to the size box where they are mixed with the size solution. However, waxes and lubricants applied in this manner degrade the strength of the size film. The waxes are difficult to remove during the desizing and finishing of the woven fabric.
Kiss rolls have been utilized after the drying process to apply a wax or lubricant to the warp ends by passing the sheet horizontally over a roll partially immersed in a melted wax or other fluid lubricant. The wax must be heated in the reservoir requiring various accessory equipment and energy expenditures. The problem further occurs with the kiss roll type of application that the warp yarn sheet must be oriented horizontally in order to contact the kiss roll since it is immersed in an open top tank. Application of wax or lubricant by means of a kiss roll has resulted in excessive amounts of wax or lubricant being applied to the warp yarn sheets. Often, particularly in the case of filament yarns, the loom beam becomes saturated with the lubricant which drips during formation and utilization.
It has also been known to apply a lubricant with a kiss-roll type applicator prior to the drying process while the sizing is still relatively wet on the yarns. However, this results in the lubricant and wet sizing being mixed together somewhat wherein the advantageous effects of the sizing and the lubricant are somewhat reduced as described above.
Numerous rods and other types of devices have been heretofore proposed for applying various material to various strands. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,254 a pair of rotating cylindrical members are disclosed which consist of a plurality of metal disks fitted together. A fluid plasticizer is applied to the cylindrical members which flows between the disks for application to cigarette tow passing over and under the applicator assemblies. While this device may be suitable for the application of a plasticizer to cigarette tow, it would not appear suitable for application of a fluid to warp yarn ends in a slashing process. The grooves defined between the various washers fitted together would not provide a sufficiently smooth and continuous surface over which to pass warp yarn ends for the application of a lubricant. In particular, fine denier yarn ends would easily become caught in the grooves resulting in breakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,536 discloses a pair of rods having a slit and wrapped by a stainless steel wire mesh for application of a plasticizer to cigarette tow. Tow in the form of a 1/2 inch wide ribbon is passed over and under stationary applicators. The tow is then coiled into a cylindrical form and fed to an air jet. This construction would not lend itself to lubricating warp ends nor to a rotating lubricating rod apparatus and method.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,550 discloses the application of a metered finish to a high speed yarn, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,006 discloses the fluid treatment of a yarn by passing the yarn underneath a porous plug which retains a film of the fluid. These devices are proposed for the fluid treatment of a single strand and are not suited as a method or apparatus for treating a warp yarn sheet composed of a plurality of individual warp ends.
British Patent No. 23,955 discloses a felt dampening roller having a hollow interior into which water may be delivered. Warp yarns pass over the roll for dampening or conditioning the yarns in a warping and beaming machine. Again, discontinuities created by adjoining disk elements create problems in the passage of warp ends as would the nature of the felt fabric itself.
The above mentioned patents disclose various apparatus for applying various fluids to one or more yarn ends. The provision of a satisfactory method for lubricating yarns during a slashing process in such a manner that the individual warp yarn ends receive lubricant on at least one side thereof in an accurately metered amount to increase weaving efficiency which will not be excessive and will not cause pooling and dripping from the loom beam is a problem to which considerable attention need be given.
This is a continuation-in-part application of patent application Ser. No. 308,449 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPLITTING TEXTILE WARP YARN SHEETS filed on Oct. 5, 1981. In this patent application, the use of a porous rod was disclosed in a method for splitting wet warp yarn sheets without sticking to the rod. An amount of lubricant was applied to the surface of the rod in order to prevent sticking of the warp ends to the rod. While some lubricant may reach the yarn, which may even be beneficial, it is not excessive to the extent that the yarns are considered lubricated in the ordinary sense. In the conventional slashing process, it has been found that lubricating the warp ends at the wet side of the dryer is often detrimental. The size is still wet and the lubricant can combine with the size to interfere with its function and with the later drying process. Neither the size nor lubricant tend to stay on well.
A proper amount of lubricant increases the weaving by reducing friction between the warp ends and loom parts which contact one another. Excessive lubricant causes buildups on the loom parts such as heddle eyes, reed dents, etc., causing gumming. Too little lubricant decreases the efficiency of weaving due to warp end breakage caused by friction and catching of hairs not laid down. There is a clear need to put a precise amount of lubricant on the warp ends.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a method for lubricating individual warp yarn ends arranged generally side by side in a warp yarn sheet during a slashing process by applying a precisely controlled metered amount of lubricant.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a method of applying a metered amount of lubricant to at least one side of individual warp yarn ends arranged in a warp yarn sheet following the steps of sizing and drying the warp yarn ends.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a method of applying a lubricant to warp yarn ends arranged in a complex configuration wherein the warp yarn sheets contact one another on one side only without intermeshing of the warp yarn ends leaving one exposed side of each warp yarn sheet wherein the exposed side of each warp yarn sheet is lubricated while the sheets travel side by side.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for applying a metered amount of lubricant to individual warp yarn ends in a slashing process wherein rotating porous lubricating rods are provided having a continuous porous application surface and lubricant distribution layer through which the flow of lubricant is controlled by means of a flow control membrane having its pore size determined in such manner as to control the flow of lubricant at predetermined slasher speeds and to apply a predetermined amount of lubricant to the individual warp yarn ends.